South Carolina-Florida Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Oct. 27, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team will conclude the 2005 regular season on Friday, Oct. 29 as the Gamecocks travel to Gainesville, Fla. for a match with the Florida Gators. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with the match being televised live on FSN Florida. Carolina enters the contest 6-11 on the season and a 2-8 record in the SEC. USC is coming off a road victory this past Sunday, a 3-0 win at LSU. Florida, ranked as high as 16th in the nation in this week’s polls, currently sits in third place in the SEC with a 12-4-1 overall record and a 7-2-1 conference mark.
“We have one more chance to show that we are a better team than our results,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “Unfortunately we are in that position but that’s the kind of situation we put ourselves in. Now we have to go in with our heads up and show we can compete with anyone. When you have a disappointing season like we have had, you want to finish as well as you can and get as many wins as you can. Going against a top opponent like Florida is always an exciting challenge for our program.”
SCORING FRENZY
USC is coming off a 3-0 victory at LSU, the second highest goal total in a match for the Gamecocks this season. Carolina’s three goals vs. the Tigers helped snap a seven-game losing streak.
ONE-GOAL MATCHES
South Carolina has provided its fans with tense moments into the season as the Gamecocks enter the weekend having already played 10 matches decided by one goal. That ties for the third most in the conference. USC is 2-8 this year in one-goal matches.
ON A ROLL
South Carolina junior forward Darcel Mollon has been on a roll the past two weekends for the Carolina offense. Mollon comes into the Florida match having tallied at least one point in four consecutive contests. Mollon earned assists at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State and posted two goals last weekend vs. Arkansas and LSU. The junior newcomer is the team leader in points this year with 14 as well as a team-high five goals.
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Two South Carolina players scored their first goals of the season on Sunday afternoon at LSU. Kimmy Gillespie scored the game-winner early in the first half and was followed up by Kim Boulos, whose first of the season was also her first in her career with the Gamecocks.
13 different USC players have scored at least one goal already this season. Mollon leads the team with five goals with Jessi Swaim, Ashley Kirk and Alex Mouton behind her with three apiece. Mary Worthen has two goals. Also scoring goals for Carolina are; Courtney Cobbs, M.A. Foster, Monica Hogan, Felicia Schroeder, Erin Sullivan, and Amanda Thurber.
RECENT HISTORY VS. FLORIDA
South Carolina and Florida played a tight contest last year in Columbia as the Gamecocks fell 2-1 to the Gators in double overtime at Stone Stadium in the final match of the 2004 regular season.
Courtney Cobbs scored for the Gamecocks in the second half as both teams played a spirited overtime that went back and forth until the Gators scored in the 105th minute.
Florida leads the overall series 12-1 with USC’s victory over the Gators coming in the 2002 season. Carolina’s Ashley Williams scored in the first overtime in a 1-0 Gamecock victory at Stone Stadium on Sept. 29, 2002.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS …
The magic number for South Carolina this season has been two. South Carolina has posted a 6-0 record when scoring two or more goals in a match.
